DEV Community

Cover image for How to Design Custom Approval Buttons in Outlook Email Using Power Automate?
Ena Vaghela
Ena Vaghela

Posted on

How to Design Custom Approval Buttons in Outlook Email Using Power Automate?

Approvals should not feel slow or stressful. If you send emails and wait for replies, you already know how much time gets wasted. People forget to respond, emails get lost, and you end up sending reminders. You can fix this by designing custom approval buttons in Outlook emails using Power Automate. This method lets people approve or reject requests directly from their inbox with a single click. If you want your approval process to feel smooth and modern, this approach fits perfectly.

The idea is simple. You use Power Automate to send an Outlook email that contains clear action buttons like Approve or Reject. When someone clicks a button, Power Automate records the response and moves the process forward automatically. You do not need replies, screenshots, or follow up emails. This works well because people already spend most of their day in Outlook. When you bring actions into the email itself, you remove friction and speed things up. Your users take action faster, and you get clean and tracked responses every time.

Process to Design Custom Approval Buttons in Outlook Email with Power Automate

Step 1: Create a new flow in Power Automate

Start by building a flow and choose a trigger that fits your process. You can use a form submission, a SharePoint item creation, or a manual request. This trigger decides when the approval flow starts.

Step 2: Add an email action to the flow

Insert an email action where you design the Outlook message. Write in a friendly tone and clearly explain what the request is and why approval is needed. Clear messages help people respond faster.

Step 3: Add custom approval buttons

Place buttons like Approve and Reject inside the email body. Each button should pass a clear value back to Power Automate when clicked so the flow can understand the user’s decision.

Step 4: Capture the user response

When the user clicks a button, Power Automate records the response instantly. The user does not need to reply to the email or open another app.

Step 5: Handle approval outcomes

If the request gets approved, update records, notify the requester, or move the process forward. If it gets rejected, send a message, ask for feedback, or stop the workflow. Businesses that want more advanced logic often choose to hire Power Automate developers to handle complex approval paths.

Step 6: Keep everything simple and clear

Use short messages, simple words, and easy-to-understand buttons. Your goal is to help users take action quickly without confusion.

Conclusion

Designing custom approval buttons in Outlook emails using Power Automate makes approvals faster and easier for everyone. You stop chasing replies and start getting instant decisions. Your users stay inside their inbox, and your workflows run smoothly in the background.
If you want your approval process to feel simple, reliable, and modern, this approach delivers real value. With the right flow and clear buttons, you turn everyday emails into powerful action tools that save time and reduce effort.

Top comments (0)